Variety (September 1922)

Friday, September 29, PICTURES 41 RAGS TO RICHES Com«dy-drt«* of feature J^ncUi put ( k. Warner Brother*, starring Weiley Barry ly .rrangement with . Jtf»r»baJl Nellan. by William Nl»h ami Walter Do Designated a Harry Rapf produc- Directed by Wallace Woraley. At Btory thi New York Capitol, Sept. picture he manages to Introduce a number of types in short shots that are most interesting. Later his action stuff with the battle in the desert stronghold, the ride to the rescue are all well handled. No exhibitor can go wrong in ike Clarke Wesley Barry Paying this one, for It has all the Pumbeii N "*» welch | action that any picture houne audi- Mary Warde i^SX, »£!Si2!! I ence could want, and the story is a *t'»^ w~ ' \iJ~fJ 1 oSiL^U real one. At the Strand Joe Plun- kett prefaced the feature with a corking prolog thut was a real pro- duction. Fred. Sheriff" ■ Wife Rlackwell Cia Black rke. ..Mrs. Mina D. Redman ...Richard Tucker S*rV"*Bla"ckwell Clarke Bulalle Jensen Carinailuke'a Qoverneas Jane Kockley •rtM Wod Ham Kaufman iJJl] .. Dick Sutherland Louis'- Jimmy Qulnn Purist's League Members. "9nltz" Kdwards and Elaine Manning "Rags to Riches" g^ves promise of being another "School Days," coming out under practically the Identical auspices* and having much the same merits and virtues. Young Barry is an absolutely natural kid actor with a distinct flavor of at- tractive comedy. It's a great film for the youngsters and an amusing one for their elders. it's Just a piece of artless fooling free from any/ serious intent, re- freshing in its characterizations and incidents. It hasn't even a moral and is devoid of sensational appeal. A wholesome picture of this kind deserves support, and this one is llkey to earn it on merit. Wesley, the freckled, is the son of a fabulously rich father, spoiled and coddlied by a society woman mother and yearning "to have some fun" with the other kids outside the high garden gale. He breaks bonds and has a glorious rough and tumble fight with neighboring urchins, but is promptly captured and returned to his prison round of butlers and music lessons. xt looks pretty gloomy for Marina - duke, when a fascinating burglar, member of the Zollani gang, breaks in on robbery intent. Marmadukc volunteers to help him burglarise the house, but the burglar is fright- ened off. Marmadukc goes in pur- suit of the fleeing gang iu his own miniature motor car and comes up with them in their rendezvous. The gang grabs him. their idea being to hold him for ransom, his scheme being to stick to the gan^ to escape from home. The burglarizing member of the gang, known as Dumbell, takes the kid away, apparently unwilling to Join the others in the desperate plan of kiting him if the ransom doesn't come through, and 'they ko to the country, where work is offered on a farm. A love affair develops be- tween Dumbell and an orphan girl on the farm, adopted by the kindly farmer, who is also the local sheriff. Marmadukc, newly freed.* makes a carnival of farm life, and In inter- vals' helps on the romance of Dumbell and the girl. Tho hypo- critical villagers get to knocking Dumbell, and when a. detective ap- pears and arrests him for kidnap- ping Marmadukc, they are accord- ingly delighted. Dumbell escapes for the moment, Just as Marina- duke's papa and mamma arrive on the scene, but presently returns to straighten things out. It appears that he was a federal secret service man all the time and was operating to run down the Zol- *ini gang. So it all ends in a whoop- hurrah finale, with Marmadukc emancipated/from the apron strings and the parents cured from making him a "sissy,*' all of which isn't ruch a bad moral when you conic to think of it. Hush. DESERTED AT ALTAR A Ave reel melodrama presented by Phil Ooldatone. adapted from the old popular priced meller that played the combination houses years ago. Directed by Wilium K. Howard. Anna Moore Bessie I.ovc Tommy Moore Frankie Lee Squire Simpson Tully Marshall John Slmpeon Wade Boteler Bob Crandall William Scott Nell Reed Barbara Tenant Marshal Lea Bates UNDER TWO FLAGS A Unl*»r»wl-Jewel presented by Carl Laemmle, with Trlscilla Dean .<* the star. T>lrected by Tod Browning, who al.*<o as- sisted in making the adaptation. Shown at tli a Strand, New York, week ol K<pt. ^'». ClrftrttU Prisellla Dean • 'orporal Victor James Ktrkwood Sh..,k Hen All Haitimmt John Davidson Marquis de Chateauroy 8tu;ut Holmes rrincoss Corona Ktbel c.rry Terry i** 1 ^ Rob«rt .Mark Til.- Sheik's Aide Bun-m T,.-.\v Captain Tollalrc Albert P«!let This looks like one of those pic- tures that has been made at a price but which will have an appeal in certain communities and get money for the exhibitor. There is a good cast, including Bessie Love, Tully Marshall', Barbara Tennant and Fred Kelso. The story is simply- told with fair action. A distinctive feature is the uniformly excellent photography. The titlo of "Deserted at the Altar" looks to bo one that, is going to have a certain amoiint of draw at the box office. In the old days it was one of the standard attractions on the tcn-twent-thirt circuits pre- senting popular mellcrs. Jn film form it should have exactly the same appeal to the same class of audiences as the original play did. The story is that of the orphaned sister and brother who are in charge of a rather hard shelled guardian. Through an automobile accident to the little boy, the girl meets the ''city feller" with whom she eventually goes to the altar, only to have the ceremony interrupted by the arrival of the "woman with the baby." It is all a plant on the part of the heavy who wants to win the girl, and when this complication is cleared there is the usual happy ending. Miss Love is altogether charm- ing as Anna Moore the girl that is deserted, while Frankio Lee as bet brother is one of the real stars of the performance together with the | little dog, Queenic. Tully Marshall plays the old guardian, while the phasis) which refera to John Quclch. This is Lady Cork's guid- ance'in her affair of the heart with the diamond owner. A formal en- gagement is finally arrived at. but broken after Quelch takes her to the diamond fields, displays his mastery among the Kaffirs, has some of the thieving laborers taken up to his specially prepared surgery, X-rayed, and the diamonds which they swal- lowed cut out of them. In Lady Cork's eyes, this stamps him a brute and the engagement is off. Quelch turns his attentions to Lorraine whose husband has left town on governmental business. There's a lot of talk about Quelch's sumptuous "underground palace," his retreat, wherein stories have it, souls arc bartered for diamonds. Lorraine is seen being vulgarly be- decked with strings and brooches of diamonds and on the verge of capit- ulating in exchange, when Quelch shakes an emphatic "nay" and ex- plains he did this merely to show her where her lust for diamonds was leading her. At that moment, a vengeful ex-foreman dynamites the works, Lorraine's husband ar- rives on the scene as does Lady Cork with the fade-out showing Lorraine, blinded and deaf, mono- loging in a state of coma that "Quelch is a man and tell my hus- band I was true to him to the very ■end," etc. Quelch survives, how- ever, {or the clinch with Lady Cork. There's a lot of picturesque stuff in the production which guarantees interest despite the Incongruities. There is no doubting film fans will find this a compelling hour's enter- tainment, but on actual mental re- counting it does sum up as some- what far-fetched. The excellent casting does much to convince and carry the tale. The photography is corking. Abel. heavy his son is Wade Boteler William Scott plays the hero and manages to give a rather satis- factory performance. Barbara Ten- nant as Nell Heed the woman who was wronged presented the usual weepy type that has survived for so many years of melodrama. There is a lot of action in the pic- ture and a corking mob scene is staged just before the finish. Fred. PINK GODS A Tenryhn 8tanlaws production (Para- mount), featuring Bebc Daniels and James Kirk wood in bo'.d program type and Anna <J. Nilason and Raymond Hatton in lever consplcuouanefa. A tale of tlio Kimberlcy diamond fields adapted from Cynthia Stock- ley's novel. "Pink Gods and Blue Demons," by Sony a Levlen and J. H5. Nash; scenario by Kwart Adamson. Current at the Rlulto. New York, week of 8ept. 24. lyorralne Temple Bebe Daniel* John Quelch Jamea Kirkwood Lady Mat-got Cork Anna Q. Ntlsson Jim Winjrate Raymond Hatton I,oul* Barney ....Adolphe Menjuu Mark Kschcr Guy Oliver Col. Pat Templo George Cowl This Js a remade picture. Orig- If there is nothing else in "Pink Ciods" as orthodox flicker entertain- ment to commend it, there are at least two things that will reim- burse the observer for his hour's attention. One is Kebe Daniels' un- suspected attainments in rising to the dramatic heights and the other, the artistic Penrhyn Stanlaws' sense of artistry in the fancy production touches. However, it would take a greater jjirector than Mr. Stanlaws inally it was done by William Fox | to inject a sense of breathing real with Thcda P.ara as the star in 1*U6*. The present production, however, is a world beater for action and Pris- eilla Dean as Cigarette is wonderful ii> the role. Tod Browning who handled the direction has'addc<l little touches «>f color and atmosphere here and there Unit go a long way to enhancing the value on the screen. The feature is a special any way one looks at it. At this time it is keeping with the general run of all of the desert sands' pic- tures and in the matter of story this Old talc shows that a lot i.f the present day writers must have delved Into the past for their ma- terial. "Under Two Flags" looks like it will compete with any of the more recent desert pictures aifa mors than hold its own. In tho matter of cast the T\ spread itself on this production. James Kirkwood plays tin- hero op- posite Miss Dean, while 8tuai*t Holmes and John Davidson are the heavies. Davidson tries hard with the eyes to make his Sheik a Val- entino, and to some slight degroe he succeeds in putting if over in the harem scene with Miss Dean. Kthel <;»•♦■>■ Terry plays the Princess Ca- I'a.t in a lircless, dftach'-d rot t of manner that does not register. After all it is Prise 11 la Dean as the Daughter of the Regiment who is the center of tln> action. Kirk- Wood's performance qualifies but does not stand out. Tod Urowning did himself proud in tho matter of direction. In the cafe scene at the opening of tUo ism into a theme that leaves one doubting from the lirst planting of the plot seed. John Quelch, diamond mine own- er Of Kimberley and adjacent (South African) territory (despite Mr. Kirk ood's reservedly sincere personation) cannot hear out' the scenario's title that the lust for diamonds is more pitiful than the inebriate's for alcohol or the drug addict's for "snow'' and that ho has yet to meet one woman whoso very soul cannot be purchased for a few baubles of **ice." Of course, the plot development is quite obvious from the moment one flashes Mrs. Lorraine Temple's (Ilcbo Daniels) fascination for the diamonds Quelch is displaying to her and Lady Mar- got Cork (Anna Q. Nilsson). Quelch is a playful sort of codger (but a gentleman at heart, mind you) whose little idiosyncrasies lun to leaving souvenirs in .all his lady callers' gloves and thus gauge their varying states of temptation. Lady Cork very promptly returns the diamond thus placed in her glove and sees through x the diamond king. Lor- raine do* 8 ditto, but only aft' r some strenuous iu^-rvals of writhing on th<- door. That was bur histrionic instructions to "get over'' how tho precious "ice" reacts on her. To her credit, one will not assume this interpretation was self -inspired b it more likely director-perspired. Tho story continues with Lady Cork's boy repeating ever and anon to his mother. "I like him" (the ob- ject pronoun italicized for cm- JUNE MADNESS "Juno Madness" Involves a good deal of production magnificence. It has two sets that measure up to the biggest in proportions. One is an elaborate staging of a church wed- ding and the other is a cabaret scene, both done with a lavish hand. But the story does not justify the cost ofl the picture. It greatly over- does the cutic-cutie style of Miss Dana to the point where she alien- ates sympathy as the head-strong daughter of wealth. There comes a point in the be- havior of even a screen girl tom- boy where bad manners and ill tem- per arouse Impatience and Miss Dana reaches it in the tale of Clytic "Whitmore. the spoiled daughter of riches. She throws things at her maid, treats her mother rudely, not to say violently. In general, this admirable heroine of Mr. Beau- mont's story should have been put In a correction school instead of being coaxed and coddled. This idea ocours to one about the middle of reel one and from then on one's resentment grows. The whole picture is flash and vulgar. Everybody who belongs in the environment of wealth and breeding, from the mother to the suitor for the girl, is made ridicu- lous, and the hero is a jazz orchestra leader Jn a roadhouse. Another character who wears evening clothes is a eociety spy who secretly con- tributes to a society scandal news- paper. Whoever wrote the story seems to feel that clean linen is a subject to burlesque. The attitude, by the way. is quite familiar to ob-, servers of the screen art. Does this sort of thing awaken a sympathetic response in the minds of the fans? The mother has arranged a match between Clytie and a simpleton, of wealth, but Clytie resists right up to the altar. The best man drops the ring, and whilo everybody li stooping under the pews to look for it Clytie dodges through the chan- cel and escapes. This is after she has fallen as she marches up the aisle and blackened her cyo (the optic turns a fine grease-paint black in three seconds). This wed- ding party is broken up, but an- other is set and mamma places a husky housemaid at Clytie's bed- room door to prevent another escape. So she goes out the window on a rope made of her bed clothes. She whizzes to Pennetti's road- house where Len Pauling, her ro- mantic sweetfleart, is leader of the jazz dance orchestra. The dancing star of the roadhouse cabaret has failed to make an appearance, and Pennetti (played by Snitz EkIwards) is In despair. The society spy, who has followed Clytie and is anxious to create a scandal, suggests to Pennetti that society's champion amateur dancer is in the place. Clytie is invited to take the absent dancer's plare. She rips her eve- ning dress apart until she has go1 down to the costume of daring "Fol- lies" proportions and gives the per- formance. Len. meanwhile, has coached his musicians to turn all the lights out and make a noise in the dark. "It's a raid," shouts somebody and the crowd gorambli for the doors. Len seises Clytie and : hurries her to a ne-irhy motor boat —'To escape the police," be says, He takes her to his bungalow, where the ('.in<ing star is being marrjed, and ttlcTl ttn?—run away s—m ak e—a- double wedding of it. There are a few laughs in the picture, but Clytie's temperamental outbursts earn few of them, Miss i»..na is a capital comedienne of s certain style, but you couldn't ex- pect iu r to do much with a female thH sort. Jl*sn. A PRANK STATEMENT I I. n announcing a new picture for release, the conscientious producer and distrib- utor finds it most difficult to convey the excellence of his production , for fear he will over-rate or sometimes under-rate its real value. We arc-in just this position in announcing^. $rlADOY/$ The fev persons at Los Anodes vho have seen it pronounce "Shadows" the most - unusual picture ever made,a revelation in every way! • So totally different that it Just doesn't permit comparison vith any other picture! Their comments tempt us to refer to if as"the(t3reatest M / 'the Most Vonderful" motion picture ever made. But one reads so many such claims that these adjectives have lontf since lost their true meaning/ Oo vc merely wish to convey ttat D.PSchulbero' presents A.Tom forman Production V DO S c- *> r. Adapted from the famous prize story, "Chine; Chingf, Chinaman", by Wilbur Daniel Steele. Portrayed by Lon Chaney Harrison Pord Marguerite De La Moffe Valter Longf John Sain poll's Buddy Messenger Priscilla Bonner Frances Raymond Directed by Tom Forman. Uc/e asL tfou lo look at d And judqe for yourself if il is as wonderful ana as great as lhe$ say. Prints a! Oxcnandes in October 9r%4»t*4 toy PREFERRED PICTURES Inc. Di'ttributaf by AL-LICHTMAN CORPQM TIO N